Articles related to psychotherapy, for therapists.

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The Traits of Successful Therapists

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What makes therapy work? Is there some elusive combination of words that will help a client overcome depression? Or more realistically, is there a series of research-based techniques and strategies that can be strung together to heal emotional wounds?
While the right techniques and research-based interventions are valuable, there are a few less tangible aspects of psychotherapy that are more strongly connected to positive treatment outcomes...

The Benefits of Mindfulness

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Mindfulness has been defined as "a moment-to-moment awareness of one's experience without judgment" (1). This means having conscious awareness of one's own thoughts, feelings, sensations, and behaviors, without evaluation, or the formation of an opinion.
You're acting mindfully when you listen to a song you love, and notice every tiny detail in the sound...

10 Tips for Avoiding Relapse

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Achieving sobriety is tough, and so is maintaining it. We've put together ten tips to help you stay on track after you've decided to kick your addiction. That being said, these tips aren't a panacea, and one size doesn't fit all. Everyone should take the time to adapt these relapse prevention tips to their own situation...

Treatment Overview: Children with ADHD

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Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), sometimes referred to as attention deficit disorder (ADD), is a mental disorder in which an individual displays a pattern of age inappropriate hyperactivity, impulsivity, or inattention. The symptoms of ADHD must present themselves before the age of 12, and they must occur in multiple settings (e...

Taking Therapy off the Couch

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During the winter in the Midwest United States many clients display depressive symptoms due to inactivity, lack of sunlight and body chemical shifts. As an avid jogger myself, I recognize how my own activity level impacts my mood throughout the seasons. I have taken this information and have applied it to my own therapy practice by way of walking and talking with clients...

Trauma Treatment Planning for Clinicians

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"I can't go on like this!" A client recently spoke these words to me when referring to symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The impact of PTSD on quality of life cannot be underestimated.
My former supervisor, Victor Carrion, MD, Director of the Stanford Early Life Stress Research Program, says PTSD is a disorder of fear extinction and it feeds on avoidance...

Overview of Play Therapy

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The potential benefits of play therapy for children are vast, and include the promotion of secure attachments, problem-solving skills, and self-awareness; the formation of a more positive self-image; increased communication skills; and an increased ability to express emotions.
Before beginning play therapy sessions, the play therapist will often set ground rules or boundaries for therapy, which are mostly intended to help keep the child and secure while in the therapy office (or "play room")...

When Therapy Does More Harm Than Good

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Before being used for treatment, medicines undergo years of testing. In the United States, the Food and Drug administration requires several levels of research that investigate the effectiveness and the potential harm of a new drug. Traditionally, therapy has not been held to these same standards. While tests of psychotherapy efficacy are common, studies of the dangers are rare...

Changes in the DSM-5

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The DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition) will be the first update to the diagnostic manual since the DSM-IV-TR in 2000. Changes to the DSM have broad implications including the categorization of disorders for research purposes, the way disorders are conceptualized and what disorders will qualify for insurance reimbursement...

How to Practice Mindfulness Meditation

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Jon Kabat-Zinn--a leader in the field of mindfulness and health--has defined mindfulness as "paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgementally." This means consciously paying attention to our senses, and to our feelings, without further judgement. For example, mindfulness could be practised by focusing on the sensation of water rushing over your hands as it falls from a faucet, or by feeling and accepting sadness without trying to push it away or to evaluate it...

Disclaimer: The resources available on Therapist Aid do not replace therapy, and are intended to be used by qualified professionals. Professionals who use the tools available on this website should not practice outside of their own areas of competency. These tools are intended to supplement treatment, and are not a replacement for appropriate training.